Statistics show demise of the two-week holiday
British holidaymakers are taking more trips but opting for shorter breaks over the traditional fortnight away, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The ONS revealed UK residents went on more than 45 million foreign holidays last year, compared to 27 million 20 years ago, a rise of 68%.
The most popular holiday destinations have largely remained the same between 1996 and 2016, with Spain the most popular destination and France at number two.
But while visits to Spain have increased 87% over the past 20 years, visits to France have fallen 9%.
Cruises are four times as popular as they were in 1996; holidays to the UAE have increase 20-fold, but visits to Turkey, Egypt, Kenya and Tunisia have declined.
There has been a ‘marked decline’ in the popularity of two-week holidays and a rise in short breaks.
The ONS said: "UK tourists have turned their backs on traditional two-week holidays in favour of short breaks and week-long trips.
"The week-long break is a lot more popular than before, and there’s also been an increase in the number of holidays lasting 10 nights."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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